Britten is the most literary British composer of the twentieth century. His relationship to the many and varied texts that he set was deeply committed and sensitive. As a result, both his responses to poetry and his collaborationswith his librettists tell us a great deal about his music, and often, about the man himself. Britten is the most literary British composer of the twentieth century. His relationship to the many and varied texts that he set was deeply committed and sensitive. As a result, both his responses to poetry and his collaborationswith his librettists tell us a great deal about his music, and often, about the man himself. This book takes a unique approach to Britten, drawing together well-known Britten experts alongside English, music, modern language andhistory scholars who bring their own perspective to bear on Britten's work. Chapters examine all aspects of Britten's text setting, from his engagement with a wide variety of poetry to his relationship with his librettists. By approaching Britten's operas and songs through their literature, this book offers fresh insights into his vocal works. KATE KENNEDY is the Weinrebe Research Fellow in Life-writing at Wolfson College, Oxford, where she is an associate of both Music and English Faculties. She is a frequent broadcaster for the BBC and specialises in interdisciplinary biography and has published widely on twentieth century music and literature. Contributors:JOANNA BULLIVANT, PHILIP ROSS BULLOCK, NICHOLAS CLARK, MERVYN COOKE, DAVID FULLER, JOHN FULLER, PETER HAPPE, J. P. E. HARPER-SCOTT, JOHN HOPKINS, KATE KENNEDY, ADRIAN POOLE, HANNA ROCHLITZ, PHILIP RUPPRECHT, REBEKAH SCOTT, VICKISTROEHER, JUSTIN VICKERS, LUCY WALKER, BRIAN YOUNG

About the Author
Lucy Walker is a freelance writer, researcher and public speaker on classical music, specialising in music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. PHILIP ROSS BULLOCK is Professor of Russian and Music at the University of Oxford, and Fellow and Tutor in Russian at Wadham College, Oxford. Previously for Boydell,he has published a translation of the correspondencence between Rosa Newmarch and Jean Sibelius, and in 2016, his biography of Tchaikovsky was published in the Critical Lives series by Reaktion.

Reviews
This authoritative collection of studies on a composer steeped in literature ancient and modern should engage the interest not just of Britten specialists but of all those fascinated by the theory and practice of setting words to music. * FORUM FOR MODERN LANGUAGE STUDIES *
Of particular interest are the essays that illuminate Britten's compositional methods of setting text, methods that have their origin in his intimate interaction with a wide variety of poetic and literary works. . . . Highly recommended. -- M. Neil emeritus * CHOICE *
This is a comprehensive book of essays, illustrations and musical examples...It teems with perspectives, engrossing facts and excerpts from scores and will certainly make an informative read for Brittenites of all persuasions - from the amateur enthusiast through to the seasoned academic. * BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY NEWSLETTER *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783272853
Author Kate Kennedy
Format Hardback
Page Count 425
Imprint The Boydell Press
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Weight(grams) 1g